India steps up Dalai Lama’s security over potential threat to his life
The Indian government has increased the security cover for Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, over a potential threat to his life.
The federal home minister on Thursday provided Z-category armed protection – one of the highest security covers – to the Dalai Lama based on a threat assessment report by India’s Intelligence Bureau, news agency PTI reported.
The 89-year-old spiritual leader will now have a security team of 33 personnel, including static guards stationed at his residence in Himachal Pradesh state’s Dharamshala. He will have round-the-clock protection, trained drivers, surveillance personnel, and commandos forming an armed escort in shifts.
Prior to this, the Dalai Lama had only a small protection cover in Himachal Pradesh, which was increased during his travels to New Delhi or any other place outside the state.
The Dalai Lama made the hillside town of Dharamshala his headquarters since fleeing Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. Representatives of a Tibetan government-in-exile also reside there. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
The Dalai Lama formally relinquished his political and administrative powers in 2011 and handed his political responsibilities to the community’s elected leadership. But he has remained the spiritual leader of the Tibetan community.
His followers see him as capable of uniting and mobilising Tibetans inside and outside China.
Over 100,000 Tibetan refugees live in India, Nepal and Bhutan, according to Tibetan organisations. Their number in India is estimated at around 85,000, while many have also moved to countries such as the US, Canada, Germany and Switzerland.
China castigates the Dalai Lama as an advocate for Tibetan independence and has not had direct contact with his representatives for more than a decade.
The Dalai Lama says he merely advocates for Tibet’s substantial autonomy and protection of its native Buddhist culture.
Three dead after elephants spooked by temple fireworks go on rampage
Three people died and 35 others were severely injured when two elephants went on a rampage during a temple festival in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
The incident took place at the Manakkulangara Bhagavathy Temple near Koyilandy town in Kozhikode district at 5.30pm on Thursday when one elephant reportedly turned violent and started attacking another.
Both then ran amok, damaging a section of the temple’s office building.
When the elephants struck the building, part of its wall collapsed, trapping several people beneath it, local police said. Based on initial information, the collapse led to the deaths of two women and a man, officials said.
The deceased have been identified by local media as Leela, 65, Ammukutty, and Rajan, both 70.
Authorities said that fireworks and loud music are suspected to have triggered the aggression. “As per primary information received, the elephants turned violent due to fireworks and loud music,” they said.
“The bodies of Leela and Ammukutty were shifted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. Rajan passed away as he was taken to Meitra Hospital,” Kanathil Jameela, Koyilandy MLA, was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.
Visuals of the incident have surfaced online and have since gone viral. Officials noted that the toll could have been higher as more devotees were arriving for the festival’s final day.
“People also panicked which resulted in a stampede leading to around 20 persons suffering minor injuries,” an officer of Koyilandy police station said, according to NDTV. Later the number of injured was revised to 35.
“The event was attended by hundreds of devotees and many more were turning up as it was the last day of the festival. There could have been an increased toll had the incident occurred a little late,” Bindu PB, Anela-Kuruvangad ward councillor said.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the incident tragic and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
Forest minister AK Saseendran ordered an urgent report from officials and said further action would be based on the findings, including a probe into possible violations of Kerala’s captive elephant management rules.
Health minister Veena George has also directed special medical arrangements at Koyilandy Taluk Hospital and Kozhikode Medical College, ensuring sufficient expert staff for the injured.
More than a month ago, an elephant became agitated and ran amok during a religious festival in Malappuram in Kerala, injuring at least 17 people. It attacked a man, leaving him critically injured, and triggered a stampede.
Last year in Sri Lanka, a Hindu festival turned chaotic when an elephant panicked, injuring 13 people as the crowd fled. Video footage showed a handler struggling to control the agitated animal, while devotees scrambled for safety.
Animal rights groups have long opposed the use of elephants in religious festivals, arguing that the animals are often subjected to harsh training, inadequate living conditions, and extreme stress from loud music, fireworks, and large crowds.
Cyclone Zelia makes landfall in Western Australia
Severe tropical cyclone Zelia made landfall on Australia’s west coast on Friday, bringing heavy wind gusts and record-breaking rainfall to the country’s most resource-rich region.
The storm made landfall at Western Australia’s Pilbara coast, 65km east of Port Hedland just after 12pm local time (4am GMT), according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).
Rapidly intensifying to the highest Category 5 level, Zelia packed wind speeds of up to 290kmph (180mph) and moved faster than expected at 11kmph, the BoM said.
By 2pm, it had begun tracking south and weakened slightly to a Category 4, but authorities warned the danger was far from over.
The warning zone stretches from Wallal Downs to Whim Creek where residents are experiencing severe winds, power outages, and supply shortages. At least 124 people had sought refuge in evacuation centres in Port Hedland and Karratha.
Port Hedland, a town of 15,000 people, narrowly missed the cyclone’s core.
Earlier, officials warned people to shelter in the strongest part of their house as it was “too late” to evacuate.
“There is a threat to lives and homes. You are in danger and need to act immediately. Shelter indoors now. It is too late to leave,” Darren Klemm, commissioner of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned of torrential rainfall, with up to 300mm (11.8 inches) expected in the next 24 hours and three-day totals of up to 500mm. Several rivers, including the De Grey River, are at risk of severe flooding.
“This is a very dangerous system that will cause significant impact,” said BoM forecaster Matthew Collopy.
Meteorologist Angus Hines described the storm as “catastrophic”.
“Category 5 is the top of the scale. It does not get any worse than that, extremely damaging winds, widespread rain, flooding, and storm surge are all expected.”
Cyclone Zelia has paralysed Australia’s iron ore exports, forcing the closure of major ports and mining operations across the Pilbara.
Port Hedland, the world’s largest iron ore export terminal, shut down on Wednesday, with major mining giants like BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue, and Hancock halting operations and asking staff to shelter.
“The company is working to mitigate impacts and will provide operational updates as appropriate,” Rio Tinto said in a statement.
Fortescue suspended operations at its Iron Bridge mining site, while BHP confirmed its Port Hedland personnel are sheltering in Category 5-rated facilities.
Dampier, Cape Lambert, and Varanus Island ports, key hubs for iron ore and gas, were closed on Thursday evening.
Cyclone Zelia went from a category three to a category five in 24 hours. In the last few years, the rapid intensification of tropical storms, in both the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, has become quite common due to hotter ocean waters.
“The elevated sea surface temperatures are playing a role in helping drive up the intensity as there’s more moisture in the atmosphere and that’s why severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia will potentially create flash flooding when it hits the coast,” climate councillor professor David Karoly said.
Footballer gets suspended jail term for filming woman
South Korean footballer Hwang Ui-jo received a suspended one-year jail sentence on Friday for illegally filming sexual encounters with a woman without her consent.
The 32-year-old, who plays for Turkish club Alanyaspor, was suspended from the national team in 2023 amid the allegations. The striker was indicted for secretly filming two women without their consent on four occasions between June and September 2022.
The Seoul Central District Court convicted him in one case but acquitted him in the other, suspending his sentence for two years.
“Considering that he filmed them with a cellphone during sexual intercourse against their will, the number of times the crime was committed and the specific details of the filmed material, the nature of the crime is not good,” the court said, according to Yonhap news agency.
“Given the seriousness of the socially harmful effects of illegal filming, it is necessary to punish strictly,” it said.
However, the court noted that Hwang admitted to the crime, expressed remorse and that the video was shared on social media by a third party.
Hwang Ui-jo’s sister-in-law, who was not named, shared the videos despite “knowing it would be disseminated indiscriminately”, the Seoul Central District Court said in a verdict last year in March.
“The content has been widely distributed in and out of South Korea … the nature of her crime is very serious,” the court said.
The footballer’s sister-in-law was sentenced to three years in jail for sharing private videos of him to blackmail him.
Hwang initially denied wrongdoing but later pleaded guilty. “I send out a sincere apology to all those hurt by my wrongful actions,” Hwang said during his final testimony.
“I am also sorry for disappointing the people who have adored and cheered for me with my improper behaviour.”
On Friday, when asked by reporters if he had anything to say to the victim after the case, Hwang responded that he was “sorry”.
“I personally apologise to football fans and genuinely feel very sorry,” he added.
Hwang played as a striker for clubs including Seongnam FC, Gamba Osaka, Bordeaux, and was an unused reserve for Nottingham Forest, and had been a key player for the South Korea national team before his suspension.
In a statement to the judge last year in October, he said: “I offer my sincerest apologies to the victims who have suffered because of my wrongdoings. I sincerely plead for the utmost leniency.”
Apple will collaborate with Alibaba to release ‘censored’ AI in China
Apple is reportedly planning to release a censored version of its anticipated artificial intelligence features in China in the middle of this year in collaboration with local tech giants like Alibaba and Baidu.
The Silicon Valley giant has been working to adapt its Apple Intelligence platform for China for a rollout expected as early as May, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Apple’s share rose by about 2 per cent on Thursday after announcing its AI partnership with the Chinese giant Alibaba.
To ensure its AI models provide outputs filtered to comply with Chinese censorship, Apple is reportedly relying on local software makers Alibaba and Baidu.
China is the second biggest market for Apple after the US, but the iPhone maker has suffered declining sales in the country.
Apple’s iPhone sales in China dropped to 43 million units in 2024 from about 52 million the previous year.
Analysts have flagged a rise in competition from local Chinese phone brands and Apple falling behind in the adoption of AI technology as potential reasons for the sales decline.
China has also come up with a powerful new AI model DeepSeek, becoming a strong competitor to American firm OpenAI’s ChatGPT platform.
The DeepSeek AI model’s responses to some user queries have also been observed to align closely with narratives spread by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In light of these recent AI developments, Apple may need some alterations to its existing AI platform to be more competitive in China.
Currently, the Apple Intelligence platform offers three types of AI in the US, including the tech giant’s own features that run on its device, features powered by the company’s internet servers, as well as OpenAI tools running on Apple’s infrastructure.
While its phones may run their AI features as they do in the US, an additional layer of Alibaba’s software may censor material that the Chinese government objects to, according to Bloomberg.
For some user queries that require rewriting large chunks of text, Apple Intelligence computes a response using its connection to a secure cloud computing system that runs on Apple’s Mac chips.
In China, Apple may need a local Chinese partner company for its cloud computing AI features.
Complying with local Chinese laws isn’t new to Apple.
Last year, the tech giant was forced to remove Meta’s Threads app as well as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal messaging apps off its App Store in compliance with China’s demands.
“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” Apple said.
Apple’s compliance with Chinese rules is seen as part of its heavy reliance on the country for both manufacturing and sales.
Japan drones find cabin swallowed by sinkhole with ‘person inside’
At least one person’s remains could be inside a truck cabin swallowed by a sinkhole in Japan and found inside a sewer pipe after two weeks of search, a fire department official said on Wednesday.
The body of a truck’s missing 74-year-old driver could be inside the cabin that got sucked into a chasm near Tokyo, officials said, confirming that drone images have captured what is likely a “person”. The truck slipped into the sinkhole two weeks ago near the Japanese capital city.
It is unclear if the body is that of the missing driver.
“After experts analysed photos taken with a drone, they said there’s a cabin of a truck in the photos and they can’t rule out the possibility that what appears to be inside is a person,” local fire department official Tomonori Nakazawa said, reported AFP.
A lorry was swallowed after the sinkhole surfaced at an intersection in the city of Yashio during morning rush hour on 28 January.
The sinkhole is now 40m (131ft) in diameter, officials said. It is believed to be caused by a sewer rupture. The rescuers were able to pull out the truck’s loading platform from the sinkhole but were unable to reach the cabin which had the driver.
The Mainichi reported that sediment likely flowed into the heavily corroded pipe, laid about 33ft underground, creating a hollow beneath the road, which collapsed under the weight of passing vehicles.
Nearly 30 hours after the collapse, the driver remained trapped in the vehicle as sand and mud filled his seat, according to Japan’s Nippon TV.
Rescue workers initially heard the driver responding to their calls, but soon lost contact.
However, rescuers were unable to enter the 5m-wide sewer pipe where the truck cabin was last seen due to the continuous water flow and high levels of hydrogen sulphide gas, Mr Nakazawa said. The sinkhole was initially sized at 10m wide and 5m deep.
However, it merged with another nearby sinkhole and has since quadrupled in size. The efforts to rescue the man had to be suspended as further cave-ins at the sinkhole made the area highly unstable.
The authorities called off the search inside the sinkhole on Sunday to focus on the nearby sewer pipe where the truck’s cabin was spotted, reported Kyodo News.
It will take at least three months to build a temporary bypass pipe to stop the water flow, according to governor Motohiro Ono of Saitama prefecture.
The rescue team will have to wait for the completion of the bypass before moving in to access the truck cabin, he said on Tuesday.
Five families living in the vicinity of a sinkhole in Japan have been told to evacuate as the crater continued to expand, days after swallowing a truck along with its driver. More than a hundred residents living within a 50m radius of the hole had already been moved out in the week incident took place.
Four dead after suspected gas explosion at Taiwan department store
At least four people died and 26 were injured after a suspected gas explosion blew out the upper floor of a department store in central Taiwan on Thursday.
The blast took place in a food court on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi store in Taichung City at around 11.33am local time, the Taichung Fire Bureau said.
Two of the dead were visiting from Macau, the city’s Tourism Office confirmed on Thursday. They were reportedly travelling in a family of seven. A third member of the family was severely injured.
Nearly 235 people were evacuated from the building and nearby structures.
The blast was so powerful it threw at least four people out the windows of the building in the Xitun district, Focus Taiwan quoted the bureau as reporting after speaking to eyewitnesses.
The explosion was captured by a CCTV camera on a street outside. The CCTV video showed the glass panels of the 12th storey blowing up and throwing debris on pedestrians below.
Emergency services rushed to the spot and dozens of firefighters were working inside the building to douse the fire and take the injured to hospital.
President Lai Ching Te called on “relevant units to clarify the cause of the accident as soon as possible” in a Facebook post and directed the city authorities to conduct speedy rescue work.
A part of the store was under renovation but it was not clear if the work was connected to the explosion, Taichung vice mayor Cheng Chao Hsin told reporters.
“If it’s found there were illegal actions or parts that violated renovation regulations, it will be dealt with appropriately,” Mr Cheng said.
The shock of the blast was felt in nearby areas. Taichung mayor Lu Shiow Yen told reporters at the scene that she felt the shock at her office nearby.
She said the fire bureau was focusing on rescue work first, but an investigation was underway and officers were checking whether there were other sources of danger.
Local media suggested the explosion may have been caused by a leak from a gas canister which was being changed at a restaurant or during renovations at the food court.
The incident came less than two months after nine people died in a massive fire at an under-construction food-processing building in Taichung city on 20 December.
The fire in the building being developed by PX Mart supermarket chain was caused by welding sparks and spread rapidly through a large quantity of foam panels on the site.
Honda-Nissan’s $60bn mega merger deal collapses
Talks for a multi-billion-dollar merger between Japanese car giants Honda and Nissan have collapsed, formally ending the negotiations for the deal that would have led to the formation of one of the world’s biggest carmakers.
The tie-up between the two carmakers would have created an auto group worth $60bn that would have helped both Japanese companies compete against the Chinese and US rival brands, such as BYD and Tesla, upending the car industry.
As the deal talks ended on Thursday, Honda and Nissan said they will continue their partnership on the in-house development of batteries, software and electric vehicle technology along with Mitsubishi.
“Going forward, the three companies will collaborate within the framework of a strategic partnership aimed at the era of intelligence and electrified vehicles,” the three said in a statement.
Honda Motor Co and Nissan Motor Corp announced in December they would hold talks to set up a joint holding company. The merger would have created the world’s third-largest auto group by vehicle sales, only after Toyota and Volkswagen.
Mitsubishi Motors Corp then said it was considering joining that group.
Honda and Nissan initially said they were trying to finalise an agreement by June 2025 and set up the holding company by August that year. However, the media reports widely reported that cracks were emerging in a potential deal.
The negotiations between Japan’s third largest automaker, Nissan, and its larger rival, Honda, were complicated by growing differences between the two, sources previously told Reuters.
It was reported that Nissan baulked at the idea of becoming a junior player in the partnership with Honda which has a better financial position and was tipped to take the lead in the joint executive team.
For Nissan, the talks came amid ongoing financial trouble. Nissan reported loss in sales for the July-September quarter as its vehicle sales sank and it stunned investors in November when it decided to cut profit forecast by 70 per cent.
It announced slashing 9,000 jobs, one-fifth of global capacity in a turnaround plan for dwindling sales.
At that time, chief executive Makoto Uchida promised to forfeit 50 per cent of pay to take responsibility for the results and said he was focused on making business leaner but resilient.
The talks over a potential merger followed a collaboration earlier last year that saw Honda and Nissan agree to jointly develop EV technology, including software systems and battery platforms.
Nissan, whose fleet of electric vehicles includes the Leaf, has struggled to maintain its early momentum in the EV market. Honda has committed to making all its sales electric or hydrogen-powered by 2040 but has faced challenges scaling up its operations.
Taiwan’s Foxconn has now emerged as a new partner for Nissan as its chair said he is considering taking a stake in the company.
“If cooperation requires it (purchasing Nissan shares), we will consider it,” Foxconn’s chairman Young Liu told reporters on Wednesday.